Creative Pursuit

    As we look out on our world today, I begin to realize that we seek an instant response to everything we do. When we want instant entertainment we simply click on a TV remote. When we are worried or agitated we take a tranquilizer to achieve instant comfort. We are impatient with the basic idea of growth and maturation that requires time and effort.  We begin to believe that every moment in life can bring instant bliss, and then reality sets in and we become discouraged by the fact that this is not the truth of life and begin to invest more time and effort to produce the true life of Blessing. 

    It is precisely at this juncture of life that one turns to our Torah for guidance and for a reality check. 

    Our Torah reading this week Tazriah/ Metzorah, opens with the words אשה כי תזריע and goes on to discuss the beauty and the miracle of birth. There is no doubt that the act of childbirth is the most significant creative act in human life. The Torah emphasis this idea realizing that man was created in the image of G-D and just as Hashem  is the creator of the world we are implored to imitate the ways of G-D.  Therefore, man/woman become their own creators in the family world. 

   The most G-D like of all human activities is that of creativity. 

  In this creative pursuit, we begin to realize that all our efforts may fall short of our goals, but with greater perseverance we can succeed to see life's design become a realistic venture.

         It is worthwhile to note that the next Mitzvah discussed in this week’s parsha is the law of Circumcision. Reflecting on this Mitzvah, I remember the words of Rabbi Norman Lamm, as he relates a fascinating conversation between the vicious Roman commander Turnus Rufus and the revered Rabbi Akiva. Turnus Rufus  asked Rabbi Akiva, "Which is more beautiful, the work of G-D or the work of man?"

  Rabbi Akiva answered, "The work of man." Rufus was visibly disturbed by the answer and continued, “Why do you circumcise your children?”Rabbi Akiva replied, “My first answer serves as an answer to this question as well.” Whereupon Rabbi Akiva brought before the Roman commander stalks of wheat and loaves of bread, saying to the Roman, "Behold these are the works of G -D and these are the works of man. Are not the works of man more beautiful and useful?" Said the Roman to Rabbi Akiva, "But if G-D wants people to be circumcised, why are they not born circumcised?" Rabbi Akiva  replied, "G-D gave the Mitzvot to the Jewish People, Lezaref Bahem, to temper and purify His people through this Mitzvah." 

  Rabbi Akiva’s statement is what Judaism is all about. Torah and Mitzvot are based upon the premise that Hashem withheld perfection from His creation.  He only began the task and left it to man/woman, His created images, to complete His creation. 

 

    We can, therefore, understand our Tafkid in life, by reflecting on the fact that G-D created the world for man "TO DO.” 

     It is evident what Hashem is saying, “I created the world, now it is your job to do something with it, and to make it more beautiful and more perfect.” 

   This is a seemingly, burdensome and difficult task, but if Hashem is entrusting the world to us, then we must trust that He really believes we can do it. 

   The question I pose to each one of us, "Are we up to the task?" Hopefully the answer is a resounding, "Yes, it is for this reason that we were created.”  

                                                 חדש טוב ושבת שלום    

MEMORIES

    My sons reminded me that my sermon on the last day of Pesach always concluded “Let us put away our Passover dishes, but do not put away the beautiful memories of the Passover Holiday.  Let us hold on to them as long as possible. 

  Memories have a profound effect upon us.  They continue to warm our hearts and our minds. They permit us to build reservoirs of happiness and contentment in our lives with great encouragement to forge a life of love and compassion. 

   The Yom Tov of Pesach reminds us  constantly, ‘We are the guardians of the past for the sake of the future.’  Edmund Burke called society, ‘A contract between the living, the dead, and those not yet born.’  Therefore, we are entrusted with the sacred responsibility of assuring that our Judaic way of life grows and is enhanced by our very lives. 

     I sense, that in a very prophetic way, our Torah realizes this truism of preserving the very fabric of the Passover Seder,of living harmoniously with each other.The  minhag of counting Sefirah at the Seder Table  expresses our intention of looking and carrying  forth the spirit of this family holiday, as we begin our climb together,towards Mt. Sinai to experience the ultimate goal of Judaism -  the Revelation of 

G-D to our world. 

  These are times that our real world reminds us; ‘There are things that need genuine commitment and the courage of a Nachshon, to maintain with pride, our loyalty and dedication to all that that is magnificent in our spiritual lives.  

    This Sefirah period is an excellent time to make a Cheshban Hanefesh,to think well of one another rather than to think ill of others.  It is a time to note that words have power and such power without restraint can be very destructive and serves only to demoralize others.  

     This Shabbat Torah reading, Shmini, discusses the laws of Kashrut. When the Torah lists the forbidden birds, one of the birds mentioned is the Da'ah.This list is again repeated in the exact way in Sefer Devarim.  There is however, one difference.  Instead of the Da’ah bird it is now referred to as the Ra'ah bird. The Gemarah states that the Ra'ah and the Da'ah is the same species. Why then is it called Ra'ah?

    The answer given is that the Ra’ah bird is a special one,it can see from far away. To which Chazal explains, ‘It sits in Bavel, and is able to see rotting carcasses all the way in the land of Israel.’ This insight goes beyond the physical capabilities of the bird. It is suggesting that on a metaphorical level, this bird searches long distances to see the ugliness of things thousands of miles away. I sense, that is why this bird is not kosher, because a Jew is not to look for the bad in others, we are to train ourselves to see the good in others.  

     It is enough that the world looks and finds fault with the Jewish People.  It is uncalled for that one Jew looks for the bad in another Jew. 

   We have suffered enough at the hands of so many Anti-Semites, we don't have to be ridiculed and judged in a negative and hateful way by our own brothers and sisters. 

    During this Sefirah period, when the students of Rabbi Akiva, died because they did not give Kavod one to the other, let us be ever mindful that our true redemption will come only when we have established a true loving and loyal relationship with each other. 

    Our motto must be  חברים כל ישראל.

                                                  שבת שלום ומבורך

JEWISH DESTINY

   Chol  Hamoed gives us an opportunity to reflect on the very special experience of our Seder which we celebrate with our families and friends recounting our historical and influential Jewish History. 
   While sitting with my family, one word came to mind describing my feelings “Destiny”.  Jewish history is magnetized towards a glorious destiny with a great desire to fulfill our existential goal to forge ahead in our Jewish life towards the fulfillment of our ordained destiny. 
   Too often we are caught in the quagmire of history and fail to see and live up to our destiny that has been set forth for us by G-D in our Torah. 
The question I pose, “What is our Jewish Destiny?” 
   With this in mind, let us reflect on our Seder and the prescribed order that we follow. It all began with Kadesh - a realization that the true fulfillment of our destiny must begin with Kadesh, a sanctification of our lives which can only come about with living a life of Torah, based upon a life replete with outstanding morality and ethics. To achieve this important goal we will need, immediately, after Kadesh, the act of Rachsah, of not only a washing away some impurities in a physical sense but more so a washing away all of our spiritual morass to begin to travel towards the goal of our destiny. 
Rachsah leads us to the act of Yachatz, when we take the middle Matzoh and break it in half and reserve one half to be eaten as the Afikomen at the end of the Seder. The symbolism that is present when we break the Matzoh in half is intended for us to reflect upon the fact that to our great dismay there is a "brokenness", within many  Jewish Families  that needs to be mended if we are to reach our true Jewish Destiny.  I sense we are witnessing a disruption in our Jewish unity, one that is bringing about excessive assimilation resulting in many of our young people leaving our fold and traveling on foreign spiritual roads, in doing so they are destroying the fabric of Judaism, of a Torah way of life, and especially losing their faith in feelings and passion for our glorious State of Israel. 
   This pessimistic feeling that I have is immediately replaced, like a bolt of lightning, as I realize that the other half of this broken Matzoh is being reserved for the Afikomen, which symbolizes to me an optimistic feeling of a Yeshuah, that will once again dawn a brilliant and illuminating future for Am Yisrael, mending this brokenness to become whole again. 
   This is our road to destiny, a road that begins with the counting of Sefirah, leading us on the journey to Sinai, a journey back to the truism of Yiddishkeit , a journey that will lead us to our destiny of life, to our redemptive Jewish Destiny. 
   All this begins now. We all must take the initiative, in a positive way, to help fulfill our destiny.  It is in our hands to make this goal a reality.  When this will be accomplished we will be able to sing a Shirah Chadasha that will herald our true rendezvous with Hashem, bringing about the true Geulah S’hlaymah. 
   As Chazal said   בניסן נגאלו ובניסן עתידין להיגאל,that  this is the most propitious time for our redemption and we are enjoined to muster all our Spiritual strength to bring about the true גאולה שלמה, for the Jewish People. 
חג שמח שבת שלום

TOGETHERNESS

   We live in a society that seems to exist under the rubric of entitlement and philosophy of  ‘Es Kumpt Mir,’  it is coming to me and I deserve all the benefits. This, I sense, has become part of our demeanor in our lives and in the lives of our children. 

   This way of thinking has led to a lack of appreciation and gratitude for the blessings that have been bestowed upon us and to recognize a need for greater הכרת הטוב to those around us and especially to Hashem. This is especially true as we approach the Yom Tov of Pesach, an ideal time to express our Hakoras Hatov and to infuse this Midah into our lives. 

  Hakoras Hatov is the message that we are to bring to the Seder to understand the impact that this very special Yom Tov engenders in each of us. Too often we get bogged down by the inconsequential and lose the opportunity to foster a greater involvement in reaching our true goals in life. 

  I remember reading an insightful philosophy of life “Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time.  It is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable". 

     Pesach is truly the Yom Tov of action, a time for the true redemption of the Jewish People. We begin this glorious process as we gather, together, with our families at the Seder and commemorate the Geulat Mitzrayim. Keeping this thought in mind, a simple but profound word comes to mind. That word is “Togetherness.”

   The Torah relates that at the first Seder we were instructed איש שה לבית - calling

for Togetherness. Being together brings hope and strength. Today, more than ever, not only, at the Seder do we need this attitude but we must always exhibit greater concern and empathy for each other whereby we will herald a time of peace and tranquility for the Jewish People. 

   It seems to me that in addition to this idea of togetherness, we are asked to remember three ideas for the assurance of a Judaic way of life that will insure a perpetuation of Judaism into the next generation. 

  The message to everyone is a threefold one;

1. לזכור העבר, remember the past,

2. לחיות בהוה, live in the present, 

3. לבטוח בעתיד, trust in the future. 

     Pesach instructs us to remember the past and we are continually enjoined to tell the story of our slavery in Egypt and how, by the grace of G-D, we were redeemed, marching onward to Mt. Sinai to receive the Torah and to become a ממלכת כוהנים וגוי קדוש להי. In this process we were enjoined והגדת לבנך, in our remembering the past. We must teach our children so that they will always carry the message into the next generation. 

    At the same time, לחיות בהוה, to live a vibrant Jewish life in the present, bringing beauty and meaning to our daily life.

  As we do so, we can then, לבטוח בעתיד, we can forge ahead into the future with greater confidence and optimism that Judaism will see a brighter day for עם ישראל, a day that we will be able to sing a שירה חדשה, heralding and welcoming as we do at our Seder, our Eliyahu, who will bring the גאולה שלמה, that we have patiently hoped and prayed for all these years. 

   Together, we will help to achieve these goals of Judaism. Together, we will remember the past, live in the present and herald the future- but only if we do so together as an עם אחד. 

  The future is in our hands. May we live up to our responsibilities and may we all see the final redemption of the Jewish People quickly in our time. 

                                                   חג כשר ושמח